Five Minute Friday: Five Years Ago

For a couple of months now, Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama has hosted Five Minute Friday. It's a great little exercise for writers -- to give yourself just five minutes to capture a thought, no editing, no rewriting, no pressure. Each Friday, I've wanted to join in, because I'm trying to ease myself back into the blogging world. Kieran is almost 10 months, we've completed our move, we're settling into a less hectic pattern. My soul is stirring, hearing the siren call to write again. But my writing muscles are flabby.

So today, I play. And hopefully from here on out. Today's prompt for the exercise is "five years ago."

START

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I can’t really remember what life was like five years ago. Five years ago, I only had two kids – and they were preschoolers at that. Life was sleeping in until everyone got up, Nick Jr. on the TV, weekly trips to the library where we would spend hours reading and coloring and playing games on the computer, monthly trips to Minneapolis to go to Toddler Tuesday at the Mall of America or explore the Minnesota Children’s Museum.

Five years ago, if the kids both napped, I did too. I had no set schedule. Life was dictated by the whims of early parenthood. Painting? Sure. Little People? With pleasure.

Now, five years later, I have four kids. (I. Have. Four. Kids. Ohmyword.) My youngest two are preschoolers; my older two are in first and fourth grades. My life today is controlled by the school schedule. Our days start early and are slightly rushed. Afternoons don’t allow for long naps, since Natalie and Connor have to be picked up by 3:10. Teyla and Kieran and I play for a few hours each day. But then we have to be home, ready for the scramble of homework and dinner and baths for four and books and snuggles and lullabies.

It’s seems crazy my life used to be so much more mellow. The pace was slower five years ago, like a slow-moving stream at the end of summer. Today, my stream gurgles and splashes and sometimes rushes along, overflowing with blessings.

STOP

Proof that I only wrote for five minutes? That abrupt ending. Gah. But the rules stipulate I can't go back and edit, so it stays as is. (That is very hard for me. Part of my writer's block lately has been the constant need to edit and rewrite until my thoughts are such a messy jumble, I hit delete and walk away.)

WOW! Your life 5 years ago sounds a lot like my life now! :) 5 years ago (and I mean- LITERALLY- 5 years ago right now) I was in Israel having an experience of a lifetime with some of my favorite family members (minus you/Corey, Jonathan/Kelly)... I never would have imagined fast forward 5 years we would have 2, almost 3, kids. Life has certainly changed!

Just last night, Luke asked me, "What did we do before we had kids?" He was really struggling to remember... :)

5 years ago... I hadn't been married a year, was subbing full time and working evenings at a restaurant. My husband had a half day sub job at a school that was horrid to him and we never saw each other. It was not a good way to start out a marriage and we are still paying for that.

Hi there,.,. I LOVE your writing style! I am glad that you decided to jump in Lisa-Jo's blog hop, and exercise those writing muscles again...slow and steady!Your mellow approach now is where I am at also...so different from fove years ago. :)Blessings,September

Five years ago I, too, had only two children (age 20 months and 1 month). Life was hectic but happy and entirely different from today - now I have three children, no longer a ministry wife (recently divorced) and unsure about my future. BUT,I can say for certain that Christ has been faithful through each heartbreak and has quided my path daily on the journey which He has prepared. I'm glad he wasn't surprised by the events of the last 5 years!